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Daily Mirror sued by Baby P social worker

By Sarah Limbrick

Daily Mirror publishers Mirror Group Newspapers is being sued by Baby P case social worker Sylvia Henry.

Henry, who was cleared of any wrongdoing in the Baby case, is suing Mirror for libel and breach of contract over a 2008 story headlined ‘Baby P social workers are still drawing full pay while on suspension”.

Henry has already sued the paper for libel over the same story and as part of the settlement MGN agreed not to publish claims she had behaved negligently or contributed to Baby P’s death, it is alleged.

But Henry’s lawyers claim the web story, which was not taken down until March 11 2011, breached the agreement by making allegations of negligence against her.

The story continued damaging her reputation, she claimed in a High Court writ, while also alleging that despite freely entering into an agreement not to publish allegations of negligence, MGN took no steps to implement that agreement

Earlier this month Henry accepted undisclosed compensation from her employers over a statement on Haringey’s website contradicting her version of concerns she raised about baby Peter Connolly.

The High Court heard she wanted Peter put into professional care and not returned to her mother Tracey Connolly.

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Last month she received an apology and substantial damages from The Sun for claiming that she was partly responsible for Peter Connelly’s death in 2007.

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